Study of caudal ropivacaine with or without dexmedetomidine for postoperative analgesia in paediatric genitourinary infraumbilical surgery: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Various studies have described the use of Dexmedetomidine with local anaesthetic drugs in caudal blocks for the management of postoperative pain in children. This study was designed to determine the analgesic effect of caudal Dexmedetomidine with Ropivacaine in paediatric genitourinary infraumbilical surgeries. Postoperative analgesic effects of caudal Ropivacaine with or without Dexmedetomidine in paediatric genitourinary infraumbilical were evaluated. This study was a prospective, interventional, comparative study conducted after ethical approval from the institute. Informed expressed consent was taken from each patient's guardians. The sample size was calculated to be 31 in each group. The two groups were randomly assigned and the intervention involved caudal epidural injection with either Ropivacaine combined with Dexmedetomidine or Ropivacaine with Normal Saline. Children receiving Ropivacaine with Dexmedetomidine had a significantly prolonged duration of analgesia compared to those receiving Ropivacaine alone (840.35 ± 149.97 vs. 412.90 ± 93.46 min, P < 0.001). Postoperative rFLACC scores were consistently lower in the Dexmedetomidine group, indicating better pain control (P < 0.05 at 6, 12, and 24 h). Total analgesic consumption was lower in the Dexmedetomidine group (500.67 ± 212.92 vs. 741.75 ± 268.06 mg, P < 0.01). No significant differences in adverse effects were observed between the groups. The addition of Dexmedetomidine to Ropivacaine in caudal epidural significantly prolongs analgesia, improves pain control, and reduces analgesic consumption in paediatric genitourinary infraumbilical surgeries.

Bronchopleural fistula associated persistent pneumothorax in a patient recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: Pneumothorax and bronchopleural fistula (BPF) are potentially fatal complications that can occur in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Early detection, appropriate treatment, and consideration of surgical intervention are necessary for optimum outcomes. Introduction: Healthcare professionals face complex challenges as a result of the rare emergence of pneumothorax among the variety of COVID-19 complications, including severe viral pneumonia. Case History: A 57-year-old male with multiple comorbidities diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia was admitted to our center and exhibited bilateral crepitations. During hospitalization, the patient developed right-sided pneumothorax that persisted despite chest tube insertion was linked to the presence of BPF. Discussion: The occurrence of pneumothorax in COVID-19 patients is relatively rare risk factors for which are not yet fully understood, although smoking history may play a role. Conservative management is recommended for asymptomatic cases, while intercostal drainage is necessary for symptomatic patients. Surgical intervention may be required to manage the BPF in some instances. Conclusion: Pneumothorax and BPF are rare but potentially life-threatening complications in patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia. Early recognition, appropriate treatment, and consideration of surgical intervention are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of adverse outcome in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: A systematic review.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the acute infection of lung tissue in an immunocompetent who acquired it from the community. Its incidence and mortality are significant and require a marker to predict the severity and mortality in these patients. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple, cheap, and easy-to-use marker and this study describes its role in predicting the adverse outcome in patients with CAP. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were used to search for related studies on February 8, 2021. A total of 186 articles were retrieved upon detailed searching in the databases and search engines. After a series of removing duplicate articles, title and abstract screening, and full-text review; nine articles were found eligible and included in the study. The data from each article were collected in MS Excel and the findings were summarized in this manuscript. Results: The total number of patients analyzed in this systematic review is 3340. The mean age of the patient in the included studies ranged from 61 to 90.4 years. All studies had adverse outcomes as the endpoint of the study, which included in-hospital mortality or intensive care unit (ICU) admission or deterioration from medium and low risk to high risk or 30 days' mortality. The prevalence of endpoint ranged from 5.8% to 44.8%. NLR with a cutoff value of more than 10 was shown to predict mortality compared to C-reactive protein levels, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte level, Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) level, PSI class, procalcitonin, and CURB-65 (Confusion, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, 65 years of age and older) in most of the studies. Conclusion: NLR is a simple, easily measured yet promising marker for predicting outcomes in patients with CAP.

Cerebellar infarction as the initial presentation of IgG4-related disease.

Although IgG4-RD has CNS manifestations, cerebellar involvement has only been reported in three cases. Our patient presented with cerebellar symptoms, several cerebellar infarcts were evident on the brain MRI, and CT abdomen revealed retroperitoneal tumor. Endoscopic biopsy confirmed IgG4-RD. Steroids are the first-line therapy for IgG4-RD, but our patient was lost to follow-up before treatment.

An Unusual Case of Eosinophilia with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Eosinophilia can be caused by various conditions, parasitic infection being the most common cause. Here, we present a case of a 17-year male who presented with multisystem involvement and eosinophilia. He was later diagnosed to have systemic lupus erythematosus with eosinophilia which is a rare combination. Despite being a diagnostic challenge, these patients can be well managed with immunosuppressive therapy if recognized in time.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: A rare case report from Nepal.

Clinicians and pathologists must be aware of the occurrence of Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease, as one of the differential diagnoses of cervical lymphadenopathy.

Incidental finding of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of temporoparietal bone - A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare haematological disorder affecting infants and young children and has an estimated incidence of 2-5 cases per million people per year. LCH invades the reticuloendothelial system and causes the proliferation of Langerhans cells and mature eosinophils. LCH involving the temporoparietal bone has rarely been reported in the literature. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A ten-year-old boy presented to the Neurosurgical outpatient clinic with a swelling on the right temporoparietal region following a fall from his bicycle. Local examination revealed a single, 3 × 3 cm, non-tender, cystic, immobile swelling in the right temporoparietal region. On evaluation for recent head trauma, an incidental finding of eosinophilic granuloma was discovered on a CT scan. The FNAC was suggestive of a histiocytic lesion pertaining to a diagnosis of LCH. The patient underwent wide excision of the mass and cranioplasty. A one-month follow-up CT scan of the head had no evidence of residual or recurrent disease. DISCUSSION: Eosinophilic granuloma is one of the three variants of LCH and has a relatively better prognosis. Clinical diagnosis can be challenging and mandates tissue sampling for histopathological examination. Treatment modalities including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and steroid injection are used alone, or in combination, depending on the extent and severity of the disease. CONCLUSION: Examining a swelling in the temporoparietal region with no other characteristic symptoms could be a case of LCH. The timely diagnosis and surgical excision with other adjuvant treatment options of this rare pediatric disease would help in a better outcome.

Multiple jejunal gastrointestinal stromal tumors and Neurofibromatosis type 1: A rare association.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: The association between gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), mesenchymal tumor arising from the interstitial cells of cajal and Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), an autosomal dominant disease has been reported in the literature. GIST in NF1 patients are multiple and located in the small intestine. Tumorigenesis in NF1 associated GIST is different to that of sporadic GIST and hence the treatment. Here we report a rare case of an NF1 patient with multiple jejunal GISTs. CASE PRESENTATION: We here present a rare case of a 57-year-old male diagnosed with NF1 30 years back, presented in our emergency department with complaints of black, tarry stools later diagnosed to have multiple GIST in jejunum. Contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the abdomen showed a large 10.1 × 7.33 × 6.2 cm heterogeneous, exophytic, solid mass with cystic areas originating from the jejunum. The microscopic examination of the specimen showed spindle shaped tumor cells while immunohistochemistry showed CD117 (c-KIT) and DOG-1 positivity. The primary treatment was complete surgical excision of the tumor. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The incidence of GISTs in NF1 patient is around 6-7%; however, concomitant presence of multiple GISTs is rare. CECT of abdomen along with histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies are diagnostic. The management of GIST includes surgical and adjuvant therapy methods based on the tumorigenesis and recurrent risk stratification. CONCLUSION: Early clinical suspicion and imaging aids in early detection of the tumor in patients with NF1 presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms. Postoperatively, screening for recurrence with radiology is of utmost importance.